4 States Are Critical to Senate Control

Senate Democrats harbor a hope beyond hope that the balance of the 2016 election has shifted in their favor for winning back control of the Senate as a hedge against a possible GOP victory in the White House.

But as the calendar marches headlong toward Labor Day — the unofficial beginning of the 2016 cycle — control of the upper house may come down to four states, as Josh Krashauer at National Journal argues.

To take back the Senate, Democrats must win five of the seven competitive GOP seats and protect two Democrat seats which the GOP is heavily targeting.

The key for the Democrat strategy lies in recruiting and protecting credible candidates to run for the seats in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida. GOP-aligned groups are already amassing money and spending early to discourage big names from jumping into the race.

If Democrats fail to take all four seats, the prospect of winning back the Senate will be virtually impossible.